Of Wolves and Dogs
by D0nQuix0te
Summary: When Remus looks at Sirius, he can still see the intelligent, conniving, and brave teenage boy. A lot has happened over the years, but Sirius hasn't changed all that much. SBRL slash - 30 word-prompt oneshots. Colours.
1. Time

Hiya! This is a project I'm doing with a friend, where we gave each other **30 word prompts** to use as inspiration.

Thank you to my beta, and friend, **xLady-Helenax**. You rock my world.

Pairing: Sirius x Remus  
Word: Time  
Setting: Mid-years of Hogwarts

* * *

Time

Four fifth year Gryffindors sat together, in silence, before the common room fire.

One of them constantly ran his hand through his hair, unable to mask his nervousness. He ruffled his hair, pushed his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose, and then moved his hair back to the way it had been previously.

Another sat in an armchair, legs crossed beneath him. His chin rested on his large balled up fist, as he stared into the fire, his face completely blank and unreadable.

The third, graced with good looks, distracted himself by flipping a quill around in his lean fingers, and blowing the dark fringe away from his eyes. Every so often, he stole glances at his companions.

The fourth, and last, was curled up in the corner of the couch, trying to keep warm under a thick cloak. His eyes shone maliciously, though his face was shy and anxious. He looked out through the common room window, watching as it got progressively darker.

"It's time," he whispered. The young man beside him dropped his quill in surprise and looked at his friend.

"I think I should go," Remus continued.

Sirius nodded, and picked up his quill and threw it down onto the fireside table.

Peter lifted his head and watched Remus move under the cloak to eventually stand up. He shivered when his skin was exposed to the air. James looked apologetic, and stood beside Remus, running a hand up and down his arm in an attempt to generate some heat for him.

"Thanks," Remus mumbled, then moved away from his touch, towards the portrait hole.

"I'll come with you," Sirius declared.

"No, it's alright, Sirius, I can manage," Remus replied. He really just wanted to leave, and get this over with. His heart ached for it to be the next day already, so he could wait in the Hospital Wing with the other Marauders around him, and Madam Pomfrey forcing foul potions down his throat. He shivered again, newly reminded of what would happen to him in an hour's time.

"Rubbish," Sirius insisted. "I'll just walk with you to the Hospital Wing." He took Remus by the elbow and directed them to the portrait hole. "See you soon," he added to James and Peter. The other two boys nodded. James paced in front of the deep red couch. Peter looked like he might throw up.

Sirius and Remus walked through the dark corridors without speaking. Sirius reluctantly let go of Remus' elbow and tried to calm his nerves. Remus could hear his friend's laboured breathing.

"You all get far too upset about this, you know," he said quietly, not looking at Sirius.

"How can we not, Remus?" Sirius countered. "You go through so much pain, and every single month, too!"

Remus sighed. "It's not that bad," he said with a shrug.

"Not that bad, eh?" Sirius asked. "You look pale for a week in advance; you can hardly eat anything the day of; you spend a whole night caged in an old shack; and you develop self-inflicted scars, but no, it's not that bad," he muttered sarcastically.

Remus looked defeated, and Sirius felt instantly guilty for upsetting him. He attempted to correct his blunder. "We're just worried, Remus. We don't like having to let this happen to you every month. We feel helpless; like we're letting you down."

"W-what? Siri, you guys don't let me down!" Remus insisted, now looking directly into his friend's eyes. "It's quite the opposite, actually. Without the three of you, I may have given up by now."

Sirius would have replied, but they had reached the Hospital Wing, and Madam Pomfrey was already waiting. Remus continued towards her, but then stopped and turned to face Sirius.

"Thanks for coming with me," he said meekly.

"I suppose there's no use in telling you to be careful?" Sirius replied.

"Not really," Remus half-grinned. Once the moon had awakened the beast within him, he would lose control of his thoughts and emotions, and it would be impossible for him to 'be careful'.

"'Kay," Sirius sighed. "We'll see you tomorrow, I promise."

Remus smiled. "I know," he said.

Madam Pomfrey nodded to Sirius, and then walked away with Remus to the grounds, where they would press the knot in the Whomping Willow, and Remus would go inside to await his transformation.

Nine o'clock.

Sirius watched the clock hanging on the common room wall, willing it to move faster. How could it only be nine? He could have sworn it'd been _hours_ since he had walked Remus to the Hospital Wing.

"Stop watching the time like that, Padfoot, it's enough to drive you insane," James muttered, though he was secretly glancing at his wristwatch every five minutes.

"Can't help it," Sirius replied. He growled in frustration and buried his face in his hands, forcing his eyes to stop watching the clock.

"I wish we could get this Animagus thing working," Peter said absentmindedly. Both his dark-haired friends nodded, though he didn't see them. "It would make nights like this so much more bearable."

"That it would, Wormtail," James replied.

They relapsed into silence. The next time Sirius couldn't contain the need to know what time it was, only a couple hours had passed.

Eleven o'clock.

"It's not even midnight!" Sirius exclaimed. He collapsed across the entire couch, his head resting in James' lap. James raised an eyebrow, but let Sirius be.

Two o'clock.

"I need to go to bed," Peter announced. "I'm going to at least _try_ to get some sleep." He rose from his chair and stood by it quietly. James nodded and tried to give him a reassuring smile. Peter nodded back and slowly ambled up the dormitory stairs.

"I'm tired too," Sirius' muffled voice sounded from James' lap.

"Well, you can go to bed too," James answered.

"Can't," Sirius mumbled lazily.

"I know," James said. He looked at the portrait hole, as though expecting Remus to burst through it suddenly, saying that a cure had been found and that he was no more a werewolf. He knew it was not possible.

Three o'clock.

James had dozed off, right there, sitting underneath Sirius' warm head. Sirius, on the other hand, had completely given up attempting to not look at the clock, and was staring at it furiously, as it slowly ticked on.

He felt alone. Peter had not come back downstairs, and James was asleep. Everyone else in Gryffindor house had retired long ago, and Sirius was left alone; just him and the time. He felt like every second that passed made him more and more insane.

However, no matter what, Remus was worse off, Sirius told himself. The dark haired boy thought about it. If he took his pain, amplified it and added physical pain, he would have what Remus had.

Five o'clock.

Sirius couldn't handle waiting any longer. He sat up quickly. James stirred, but stayed asleep. Sirius lifted himself from the couch and left through the portrait hole quietly, not caring one bit that he was not allowed in the corridors at this hour.

Remus was always grateful for Poppy Pomfrey's presence after the full moon. She supported his weight as they crossed the grounds from the Whomping Willow with ease, making sure he was feeling okay.

He watched the ground, trying to remain steady as he took deep breaths to calm his nerves. He had survived another full moon. He would finally get some rest underneath the crisp, clean sheets of the infirmary beds, slipping into slumber effortlessly under the influence of calming potions made by the medi-witch.

Madam Pomfrey sighed, and then gave a small chuckle.

"You really do have interesting friends, Remus, dear," she spoke softly towards his ear. Remus looked up to see Sirius sitting, eyes closed, beside the Hospital Wing doorway. He smiled.

Sirius heard their footsteps against the stone floors, and opened his eyes at once, then jumped up from the ground and hurried towards them.

"Good morning, Mr. Black," Madam Pomfrey said politely, continuing to lead Remus into the infirmary.

"Morning, Madam," he replied. "How's Remus?" he couldn't help but express his concern right away.

"I'm quite fine, thank you very much," Remus responded.

"Ah, at least your sarcasm is working alright," Sirius joked.

Remus only smiled, as he dropped into a soft bed. His limbs relaxed and his mind finally pushed back the essence of werewolf for another month.

Sirius was instantly sitting by his side, leaning against the bed, watching him.

"Must you stare?" Remus asked.

"Yup," was the reply.

"Great."

Sirius yawned; suddenly feeling very tired now that he knew Remus was okay. He yawned again, unable to contain it.

"How much sleep did you get?" Remus asked sternly.

"Er – about as much as you did, I presume," Sirius replied quietly. He knew Remus wouldn't like the fact that he, James and Peter had stayed up, so he didn't want to come right out and say that he hadn't slept yet.

"Sirius!"

Sirius chuckled. "Honestly Moony, I wouldn't have been able to sleep if I wanted to."

He flicked his dark bangs away from his eyes, and tried to look as awake as possible, to show his friend that he was okay. Sirius figured Remus would retort with more scolding, telling him to stop depriving himself of sleep. He expected to be told that there was nothing to worry about, and that he was foolish for making such a big deal over nothing.

Yet, that was not the reply he got. Remus closed his eyes, and sank into his pillow.

"What did I do to deserve such good, caring friends?" he said quietly, as though he wasn't talking to anyone in particular.

"If we were good, caring friends, we would have figured out a way to ease your pain," Sirius muttered in response as he laid his head down on the edge of the bed.

Remus opened his eyes, looking at the ceiling. He took a deep breath as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"By being here beside me, Padfoot, you already have."

* * *

Thanks for reading, please alert and read future instalments!

Next word prompt: Speak

-D0nQuix0te


	2. Speak

**Tada! Oneshot number two!**

**Thank you xLady-Helenax for continuing to beta my work!**

**Pairing: SiriusxRemus  
Word-Prompt: Speak  
Setting: Mid-years of Hogwarts**

* * *

Speak

Speech – something that comes naturally to mankind. It's our main form of communication. To speak words to someone, is to convey a message, to pass on information, to express understanding.

No man or woman, witch or wizard, goes very long in life without uttering spoken words to another being. It comes easier to some people, and not so easy to others. One can be immaculately articulate, or have no way with words at all.

I, Remus John Lupin, am both. When I speak about things in school, whether it is the goblin wars of the fourteen century, or the proper stirring motions of a difficult potion, I can weave together the perfect and correct words, worthy of fifteen points to Ravenclaw. The rest of my house is like that as well, when no one raises a hand because they wish to not show off, I am often called upon.

Likewise, I am capable of having intelligent conversations with adults, in such a way that they hardly believe I am no older then fifteen.

However, there is this other part of me that's so different it worries me deeply. When it comes to speaking to someone whom I have romantic affections for, I can hardly manage to string a couple of words together, let alone start a real conversation.

For a couple years now, I have remained silent in the face of the Gryffindor boy who has captured my heart. I have never been able to acknowledge him without worrying about making a fool of myself, and so he most likely thinks I'm a stuck-up Ravenclaw, with no time for students who I don't think are intelligent enough to be called my friend.

Sirius Black is no idiot, however. No, he is as intelligent as I, just in his own way. His transfiguration skills are to be envied, by all sorts of students.

I remember at the beginning of this year, Ravenclaw house and Gryffindor house had Transfiguration together for the first time. Naturally, I was early to the first period class, and had already settled down in a seat by myself near the back. My transfiguration book, a quill, and a bottle of ink sat on the desk, in case they needed to be used.

In came three Gryffindor boys. The watery-eyed boy and the messy-haired Quidditch player sat at the table behind me. I held my breath as the ever-alluring Sirius Black took the empty space beside me. I continued to look at the desk, for I couldn't stand to look at his face.

Sirius spent most of the class turned in his seat, chatting with his friends. He and James, the one with the glasses, were both really successful in turning mice into teacups. The other one, Peter, required their help to get the tail off his teacup, as well as undoing the orange colouring he accidently gave it.

I loved listening to Sirius' voice. It's velvety smooth and manly; a perfect baritone sound. I wish I could hear it directed towards me.

If only I could muster the courage to speak to him.

If only I could say hello, comment on his nice shoes, ask him how his day has been – anything would be better than this petrified silence.

I despised my inability to keep a calm head while thinking about him. I spent way too much time dwelling on him; while I was sure he cared not for my existence at all. A tired sigh escaped my lips as I ran a fingertip around the circular edge of my teacup.

Professor McGonagall came by our table just before the end of the class to inspect our progress.

"Ten points to Ravenclaw, Mr. Lupin, for adding a matching design on the saucer and the top of the cup," she said proudly, and moved to the next table. I flushed with embarrassment as Sirius turned to look at my teacup.

I was thankful when the class ended. I wasn't sure I could handle one more minute of sitting beside Sirius, unable to focus on anything else aside from him.

Maybe sometime this year, during this class, I would speak to him. Maybe.

"So you're Remus, right?"

I gasped in surprise and dropped my textbook when I heard my name being spoken by Sirius Black. I looked up at him, into his dark eyes. I nodded meekly. He smiled at me.

He broke our eye contact briefly to turn to James and Peter.

"I'll be right out, guys," he said, nodding to the door. The other two took the hint and left to wait in the hall for their friend before going to their next class.

Sirius picked up my dropped textbook and handed it to me. I took it and placed it neatly into my bag.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

"No problem," he replied and slung his own bag across his shoulder. "I'm Sirius," he adds with a smile.

"I know," I answered matter-of-factly.

"Oh," he said, laughing a little. "Well then, what classes do you have next? Any with Gryffindor?"

My mouth fell open a little in amazement. Sirius Black wanted to know if we would have any more classes together, as though he would be _pleased_ to see me more.

"Er," I stammered nervously. Damn him, making me unable to speak properly. "I have Arithmancy next." Sirius shook his head. I assumed he wasn't even taking that class. "I have Charms after lunch," I added bravely.

Sirius smiled. "The Gryffindors have Charms too! Excellent, I'll see you there, then?" He nodded in acknowledgement and started walking to the door to catch up with James and Peter.

I watched him disappear, and then turned back to my bag. I grabbed it and headed off to my next class. I grew more and more animated as I made my way through the halls; the words Sirius Black had said to me running over and over in my mind.

I had engaged in conversation with Sirius. After years of admiring him from a distance, we had finally spoken.

In the end, it didn't matter that I could not make the first move. Sirius had done that for me, giving me enough confidence to reply to him. I already felt as though I possessed more courage now that the first words had been said. Things could only progress from there.

I, Remus John Lupin, can speak intelligently in most situations, but there are a few that I am not naturally good with. With those few, I am willing to learn.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, please leave me a review:)**

**-D0nQuix0te**


	3. Vegetable

**SiriusxRemus oneshot #3 is here! Sorry it took me a little longer, I've been trying to write about 4 different stories at once. xD**

**To my beta, xLady-Helenax: without you, this story wouldn't be as good as it is!

* * *

**

Vegetable

One evening in the middle of summer, a small group of friends bustled around a quaint kitchen in a house situated within Godric's Hollow.

They were having dinner with each other in celebration of an engagement. James Potter and Lily Evans were set to be married in just under a year. They had invited their immediate friends along. Peter had sent his apologies, having prior commitments; Sirius and Remus had come early to help prepare the meal; the Longbottoms and the McKinnon's would be arriving later.

James was working on a pot of mashed potatoes as Lily checked the oven. Sirius and Remus stood side by side chopping vegetables. It was already getting darker out, and they could see the sun dipping down below the horizon from the window above the sink.

Satisfied with their progress, Lily stood back for a moment. "I'll go downstairs and get us something special to drink," she suggested. The three men looked up at her and James smiled.

"Excellent, I'll come help you," James said enthusiastically. "Can you guys watch everything for a minute?" he asked the other two. Remus nodded.

"It can't possibly take both of you to just get –"

Sirius' comment was muffled under Remus' hand. "Go ahead," he nodded to his friends. They walked away laughing.

"What?" Sirius asked in mock hurt when his mouth had been freed. "You know they had alternative motives!"

"I do," said Remus as he turned back to the vegetables that needed cutting. "That's the whole point. Leave the happy couple alone." He couldn't help but grin.

"You're no fun," Sirius pouted, joining Remus at the cutting board once again.

"You should be happy that they have finally settled down with each other, instead of constantly bickering like they did at Hogwarts," Remus said quietly. "_I'm_ happy for them."

"Yeah, don't get me wrong, I _am_ happy for them. Maybe a part of me is just a little jealous," Sirius replied.

Remus stopped cutting the head of broccoli he was working on. Sirius was jealous? Remus wasn't used to his outgoing friend being jealous of anyone. He wasn't the kind of person that people thought would ever want to settle down. He was the kind of person to be forever young, getting as many different experiences out of life as possible.

Although, Remus admitted to himself, he was a little jealous too. Maybe it was the situation the wizarding world was in at that moment – with a war raging, and the Death Eaters becoming even stronger, people were starting to fear death. Every day was a battle to stay alive. Remus wondered if Sirius felt similar to him; that their lives may not last much longer, and so the need for a partner seemed more important.

Remus sighed tiredly, and looked up at his friend. "Me too," he supplied.

"Really?" Sirius looked relieved. It made him feel better to know that Remus felt the same way. Remus always seemed to be like that, Sirius realized. When you thought you were completely alone, the shy young man was there. When you felt like no one understood you, he could explain your feelings in one simple, thought-out sentence.

"Yes," Remus answered. "I'm sure we'll both find someone eventually. Possibilities often come up when you least expect them."

Sirius smiled. They certainly did. He watched Remus, the man he had been friends with for years, intently. They had taken classes together, slept in the same dormitory, gotten in mischief with each other, shared detentions, and spent many full moons in canine company. Their relationship had been wonderful and flawless.

"Very true," Sirius added, before Remus noticed he was watching him. "What kind of person are you looking for, hm?" he asked playfully, making Remus blush.

"Oh, I don't r–really know," he stammered shyly. Remus wanted someone who was fun, and accepted him for who he was, even though that was hard to come by, considering his werewolf condition. He wanted them to be like a friend, sharing his interests and passions, and understand everything about him. He wanted someone who would always be there for him and never let him down.

He wanted someone a little similar to Sirius.

"Ouch!" Remus cried as he sliced his finger with the knife. He had been lost in his thoughts, shocked to discover that Sirius seemed to be the perfect person for him.

Sirius was holding his hand instantly, looking at the small wound. Remus blushed again as Sirius pulled him towards the sink and ran warm water on his fingertip.

"You should be more careful," Sirius said protectively as he released Remus and took out his wand.

Remus missed the warmth of their contact immediately. "Sorry," he muttered. Sirius waved his wand and the knives started chopping the vegetables on their own.

"Are you alright?" he asked Remus.

"I'm fine. It's just a small cut, nothing to worry about," Remus assured his friend. Sirius took a step closer, nodding. They stood by each other for a moment in silence.

"What are you thinking about?" Sirius asked suddenly.

"Er – well, you, actually," Remus admitted timidly. Sirius seemed uncomfortably close now. Behind him, the sun was half hidden by the horizon and the sky had turned to brilliant shades of red and purple. Remus' mind attempted to think of anything else aside from Sirius. Where were Lily and James? Surely they would be done whatever they were really doing now?

Sirius' hand was on his arm, lightly. Remus' breath hitched as he looked into his friend's eyes. He placed a shacking hand on the dark-haired man's chest to keep from falling over.

Sirius took it as an invitation.

Suddenly their lips were together, gently at first, but hungrily a moment later. Remus' heart was beating even faster than it had been before, but he was feeling less nervous. He returned Sirius' kiss eagerly.

Together they deepened the kiss, taking their time exploring each other's mouths and enjoying the pleasure rising in their chests. Remus pulled Sirius as closely as he could, not wanting their moment to end. Sirius gave a satisfied moan in response.

This was by far the best kiss Sirius had ever been a part off. All the girls had been with previously had seemed to like him, but Sirius had always figured that most of them only liked him for his looks. He could tell by the way Remus kissed him that there was much more there then physical attraction. They completed each other; they were meant for each other.

"GOOD LORD!" a voice cried in shock.

Sirius and Remus broke apart and looked to the doorway of the kitchen. James stood there, looking both very confused, and very ill. Lily stood beside him, a pale hand covering her mouth in surprise. Her wide eyes moved between the two young men in her kitchen.

Sirius coughed quietly and looked at the ground. Remus turned bright red.

James was quite shocked at first. How could it be, that he had offered to accompany Lily in an attempt to get a moment alone with her, but she'd stayed stubbornly on task, and all the while, his two best mates were doing exactly what he's been hoping for back in his kitchen?

He sighed, trying to make his mind understand it. Lily seemed to be taking it a little better as she lowered her hand and gave their friends a reassuring smile.

James followed her example and forced back his astonishment. "Congrats, mates, but next time I suggest you find a better place than the kitchen I share with my fiancée," he joked.

Sirius laughed and Remus grinned, glad that they hadn't scared James completely.

The doorbell rang and Lily immediately left to let in her guests and give the three friends a moment alone. When she returned, with Frank and Alice Longbottom in tow, she found them in their same places, but more relaxed and chatting about something irrelevant.

The rest of the evening passed by pleasantly with the group of friends sharing each others company and congratulating Lily and James. They ate dinner, drank both wine and Firewhisky, and reminisced about their years at Hogwarts.

Secretly, beneath the table, Sirius' and Remus' fingers linked together. They gave each a smile, both conveying happiness and great contentment.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, please let me know if you enjoyed it!**

**-D0nQuix0te **


	4. Nightmare

**A/N: As it turns out, I didn't tell you guys much about what I'm doing with this story, did I? I said it would be 30 oneshots, and that my friend and beta, xLady-Helenax, gave me the word prompts for all of them. Originally, I started this with all Harry Potter pairings, but it didn't work out too great because not every person likes all pairings. **

**xLady-Helenax is doing this as well, with KakashiSakura oneshots from Naruto. Our goal is to post every other week, and to make them under 2000 words. If there are any situations or scenarios you would really like to see me write, let me know and I'll see if I can fit it with one of my prompt-words!**

**Sorry about the long introduction! On to the story!

* * *

**

Nightmare

"I've had enough!" Sirius said loudly and boldly.

Remus cowered against the wall, wishing he could close his eyes and cover his ears and everything would go back to normal. He wished Sirius wouldn't say what he knew he was about to say.

"This just isn't working," the dark man said. "You're a monster."

Remus wanted to cry. The only man he had truly loved, had called him a monster, and was apparently disgusted with him. A tear tried to escape from his eyes, but he wouldn't let himself cry, it would only provoke Sirius further.

"But Siri, I – I thought – you didn't mind…"

"That was in school, Remus, that was when we were young and naïve. I've grown up, and I've learned. You're a werewolf and you always will be. And don't call me 'Siri', it's childish," Sirius said quickly and angrily, becoming more upset as he spoke.

He was packing a bag, Remus noted. Where was he going to go? Ever since he left home, Sirius had lived with Remus or James. Perhaps he would go back to James' house, even though he had preferred living alongside his lover, Remus, while James was in the market for a house to share with Lily.

"Please – don't go," Remus stammered, unsure of how in the world he could convince Sirius that they could work things out. Maybe, deep down, he knew they couldn't. Sirius was completely right; Remus had a horrible condition of which he would never escape. He could only inflict it upon those he wished to be close too.

The metallic sound of a closing zipper ripped Remus away from his sorrowful thoughts. Sirius had packed his bag. The young man grabbed his wand from the bedside table, holding it in one hand, grabbed his bag with the other, and headed for the door. Remus wasn't sure if he should follow.

But he did. If only there was something he could say…something positive and reassuring. No inspiration came to him, however, as he followed Sirius down the stairs to the front door. Sirius already had his shoes on, and was donning his outdoor robes.

"Sirius, can't we talk about this? Please, Padfoot?" Remus was starting to panic, as the only man, hell, the only _person_, he could and ever would love got ready to leave.

"No, Moony, I'm sorry, but we can't. We've talked enough," Sirius said, exasperated, as he opened the door to the cool night. "We can't be together anymore. I'll see you at Order meetings."

Remus watched, unmoving, unblinking, and unthinking, as Sirius walked out, his cloak billowing behind him and his hair gleaming in the light of the moon that would soon be full.

Suddenly, his body gave way and he painfully collapsed to his knees in the doorway. His limbs filled with white hot emotion.

He cried out into the night, a heartbreaking howl similar to that of a werewolf.

* * *

"Remus! Hey, Remus!"

Big, rough hands were shaking him. His body felt wet and clammy, and he trembled with great force.

"Remie, are you okay? Wake up, damn it!"

Remus Lupin's eyes shot open, and his vision was filled with a dark, concerned looking Sirius Black. It was the middle of the night, and the two young men could barely see each other.

Seeing that he was finally awake, Sirius backed away to give him some space. He sat up on his side of the bed, looking directly at Remus.

"I – I don't – oh my goodness, Sirius, you're here – you're here, everything's okay," Remus stuttered hurriedly, attempting to separate his nightmare from reality.

"Of course I am, Rem, why wouldn't I be?" Sirius replied, apparently appalled that Remus would suggest that his boyfriend would ever leave him.

"It was – it was just a nightmare – but oh," Remus replied, wincing as he remembered. "It was horrible and – and, I don't know, worrisome?"

"If anyone should be worried, Remus, it's me! You scared me shitless, yelling out like that." Sirius, unable to sit still any longer, jumped off the bed and paced at the foot of it. He sighed, as he calmed down. "Can I get you anything? A glass of water or something?"

Remus shook his head. He wanted Sirius to stay in the room with him.

"Are you going to tell me about your nightmare?" Sirius was fully aware that he was prying, but that didn't stop him from trying to comfort his loved one.

Remus shook his head again. He didn't feel like talking. He did, however, feel the need to ask Sirius a question. He needed to know how Sirius _really_ felt, as opposed to how the nightmare-Sirius felt.

"How do you feel about me being a werewolf?"

Sirius was shocked by the question. He stopped pacing, and faced Remus, trying to read his figure in the dim light. Remus's condition had never been brought up as a serious subject, as something to be worried about. He, James, and Peter had always been sensitive, always caring, and had done everything they could to make things better for their friend. Why was Remus bringing it up now, as though it was suddenly an obstacle in their relationship?

"I would have thought you'd know the answer to that question. After all we've been through, at school –"

"I'm not talking about school!" Remus exclaimed, cutting Sirius off. "I'm talking about now, Sirius, not when we were young schoolboys. I want to know how you feel _now_."

Sirius had long since accepted that Remus was not a trusting person. How could he be, with the way society treated him? Sirius knew that no matter how close he was to Remus, there would always be times of weakness and doubt. The man needed reassurance. He needed security. He needed to know that there were people who loved him unconditionally and that he wouldn't be hurt by them.

Slowly, Sirius made his way up Remus's side of the bed, sat down on the edge, and put an arm across the tawny-haired boy's lap. Remus felt strong arms pull him up from his lying down position, to sit facing Sirius. Sirius kept his arms where they were, massaging the skin where Remus's hips met his back.

Remus relaxed a little under his touch and leaned forward into Sirius's warm body.

"Nothing has changed, Remus," Sirius said, in a deep, low voice. "Nothing at all. I love you, and accept you, furry little problem and all."

Despite his depressing mood, Remus couldn't help but smile. The Marauders had used the term "furry little problem" in order to make it seem like it was no big deal. When Remus got moody and quiet before a full moon, they made fun of him. 'Furry little problem getting you down?' they would ask, and Remus would shake his head and smile, and not even realize that the comment had indeed made him feel better.

It had worked again. Remus felt better, now that he realized that his nightmare was nowhere close to reality. He felt like an idiot, thinking Sirius would ever act like that. Remus just wasn't used to love. The Marauders were the only students in all of Hogwarts that Remus had ever been able to get close to, and he had managed a friendship with Lily as well, but aside from that, he had felt like a bit of a loner. Some days it still seemed surreal when Remus thought about his friends. They weren't children anymore, but Remus could finally see that Sirius and the others wouldn't leave him.

He felt a finger under his chin. Sirius gently lifted his face and moved as close as possible. Gentle lips kissed his forehead, and then his cheek. The warm mouth made its way to Remus' ear, where it nibbled at his earlobe.

"Quit teasing," Remus complained, softly punching Sirius in the chest.

"As you wish," Sirius said quickly before eagerly joining his lips to his lover's.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this one! Thank you to my beta, xLady-Helenax!**

**-D0nQuix0te **


	5. Ghost

**Disclaimer: It all belongs to J.K. Rowling. **

**Thank you to my beta, xLady-Helenax. **

**Pairing: Sirius/Remus (duh)  
Word-prompt: Ghost  
Setting: Between OotP and HBP**

**This is a short one, but I like it. Hope you do too. **

* * *

Ghost

He'd never really had the best luck, but right then he felt as though there wasn't an ounce of good luck left in his soul. It was like he'd accumulated bad karma all his life and suddenly it decided to come full circle and knock him down with the force of a mighty ocean, encircling him, drowning him, making him unable to breathe. 

What had he done to deserve what life had thrown at him? He didn't mean to be immodest, but he couldn't see a proper reason for why so many terrible things happened to him. He had thought he was a decent enough person; sure he had his flaws, but so did everyone else. It was only human. 

Maybe that was the problem. Maybe Remus Lupin couldn't even be considered human. 

His friends had told him repeatedly, that he was just as human as they were; that he had just as many rights, and the same amount of ability as a wizard. They assured him that he was no different than them; he simply had some really bad nights – about once a month. 

Still, Remus wasn't quite sure how it was that he remained in the realm of sanity. Many times, he bitterly thought that there were worse people than he, and that _they_ should have to deal with these things, not him. Remus was so close to cracking – just losing it all together. At one point in his life, he would have been able to find the silver lining, realize that things weren't all that bad, in fact, that they could be much worse. 

But that was then, and now, things _were_ worse. Was it normal to have only three best friends, one who killed another and framed the third for the crime? It seemed so surreal. Did situations like that actually occur in real life? Honestly, Remus was lost for words when it came to explaining just how his tight friendships had ended so horribly. What had driven one of them to do evil? Remus had thought the four of them were so close….

Then he remembered his bad luck. Only he, Remus Lupin, could have enough bad luck to destroy a circle of friends as firm as the Marauders. 

If they had all been alive and well, to be with him now, they would scold him for thinking such things. They would tell him that he was being foolish if he thought for even one moment that this was his fault. However, they were not alive and well. They were not there with him now. Remus had lost every single one of them. 

He had been devastated when he'd lost them all. Two were dead, and the third was in prison. As much as he disliked admitting his weakness, Remus needed them. While they were at Hogwarts, he had grown accustomed to them being there, he was used to their ways, and suddenly he realized he couldn't live without them. To have felt the security that his three friends had gradually built up for him only intensified the pain he felt when they were gone. 

There had been hope, somewhere along the line. For two years, Remus believed that he had been given a second chance. For once in his life, things had worked out well. It wasn't perfect, but Remus had been prepared to take whatever opportunity life offered him. 

He had not been the only person to benefit from the second chance. James' son got a godfather out of the deal. Indeed, things seemed like they were heading in the right sort of direction. 

If it _had_ been a second chance, it looked as though that chance was up. He had failed. 

Remus stood on the grass, wearing the newest, nicest robes he had managed to find. A small assortment of people stood with him, but he did not register their presence. He was lost in the solitary confines of his mind, revelling on everything that had happened and how things came to be the way they were now. 

It was over. He had no more chances left. 

There were tears, there were hiccups, there were comforting words, and gentle pats on the back. The air was thick and tense, and the solemn mood of everyone present weighed down on their spirits. Remus wasn't sure he could handle too much more of this agony. He lifted his face and looked straight ahead. 

In front of him lay a grave. The tombstone was already in place, for the ground did not need to settle after being dug up, and packed back in. There had been no body to bury, just a stone to mark the passing of a life. The stone was black: black just like the hair of the person it represented. It sparkled under the sun's rays, like the twinkling white teeth that Remus remembered so well. 

Remus' eyes were foggy with emotion, but he didn't need his sight to envision the name carved finely into the ebony stone. 

Sirius Black.

* * *

**Thanks for reading,**

**-D0nQuix0te **


	6. Close

**...-crawls out from under rock-...**

**Hiya, everyone. Sorry for taking SO long to update! Life has been crazy, but I'm going to try and get back into the flow of things now. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sirius and Remus, unfortunately.**

**Many thanks to xLady-Helenax, my beta!**

**Pairing: Sirius/Remus  
Word-Prompt: Close  
Setting: 6th or 7th year of Hogwarts**

* * *

Close

The library was a place where Remus could be alone for a while and do his homework or read books that interested him. It was a place that was entirely his; he could pick a table in between a couple bookshelves that no one was using, and it would be completely quiet.

On one weekend, he was doing just that. He sat alone, immersed in a voluminous novel about vampires. Due to his own lycanthropy, Remus had always been interested in reading about other creatures and half-breeds that lived alongside the rest of the wizarding world.

The whole area was quiet at that moment. There were no other students nearby; in fact, there were barely any other students in the library all together. This was absolutely alright with Remus. He liked it that way. It was peaceful and solitary.

Unfortunately, it didn't remain that way for long.

Suddenly, the chair next to him was occupied, by none other than Sirius Black.

He leaned against Remus, head placed on the other boy's shoulder and an arm laying on front of them, cleverly draped across the book on the table.

Remus sighed. "Hello, Sirius."

"Hey, love. Whatcha doing?" his black-haired friend replied.

"Isn't that obvious?" Remus demanded. "I was _trying_ to read." He nodded at the book under Sirius' arm, as if he needed to give proof.

"How about this: you take a break for a bit," Sirius suggested lightly. "C'mon, James and Peter are in the common room; we can do something all together. Want to sneak into Honeydukes?"

"Not particularly. This book is really interesting," Remus insisted. "I've clearly overlooked the hardships of a vampire. You know, I change once a month, but they have to deal with the urge to drink blood _all_ the time. Do you realize the toll such an emotion could take on someone's personality?" he said while attempting to push Sirius' arm away. Sirius groaned and kept his arm tightly against the pages beneath it.

"So sign it out," Sirius insisted, doing his best to distract Remus.

"It's just a leisure thing," Remus insisted. "I don't need it for any classes, so I don't really have a lot of time to read it. I probably wouldn't be done with it by the due date."

"The book isn't going anywhere, Remus," Sirius stated. "It will be here tomorrow, next week, and next year, and you can come by and read it whenever you want. There are many opportunities to come back later!"

Remus ignored him and continued reading the bottom of the page, that wasn't covered by Sirius' arm, with a blank face.

"Fine, then. If you plan on ignoring me, can I do whatever I want while I'm still here? You won't stop me, as long as I'm not _distracting_ you or anything, I'm sure," Sirius demanded. Remus' eyebrow rose a millimetre in curiosity, but he said nothing, just as Sirius hoped.

Sirius nudged his chair closer to Remus; in order to make his task easier. He finally removed his arm off the book, making Remus grin. Instead, both arms found their way around the smaller boy's waist, tightening into an embrace. Sirius moved his face up closer to Remus'.

The light brown hair smelled familiar. Sirius smiled as he took in a deep breath, filling his senses with Remus' scent.

Then he moved closer, and pressed his lips to the other's cheek. The skin was pleasantly warm. If Sirius knew Remus well – and he certainly did – then those cheeks would rise in temperature in the next few minutes as Sirius succeeded in making him blush.

Sirius kissed his cheekbone, then his temple, but Remus continued reading. He flipped to the next page, almost mockingly, without a word.

Sirius felt like they were playing a game. He had moved first, by giving his beloved gentle kisses. Remus countered by tauntingly turning the page of the book, as though completely indifferent to what was going on around him. Now it was Sirius' turn again, and he planned on stepping things up a notch.

He slipped his arm inside Remus' robes and then underneath his Gryffindor uniform sweater. He felt Remus shiver as a cold hand crept up his warm back. Sirius grinned in satisfaction. He knew that Remus was sensitive about his back, as it had many werewolf-inflicted scars, but Sirius' gentle touch was soft and sure to please.

Remus took a moment to grow accustomed to the new development, and then made a show of yawning. He covered his mouth politely with a hand, looking bored and tired.

Sirius would, under no circumstances, take that from anyone. No one should ever be bored when Sirius Black was doing such nice things to them. If Remus wanted to play dirty, Sirius would follow suit.

He fit his head in the nook between Remus' shoulder and chin and promptly attached his mouth to Remus' neck. He smiled when he felt Remus take in a sharp breath. He continued however, and kissed the other's neck before biting it lightly. He alternated between soft kisses and fervent bites until he was satisfied with his job. He sat back and leaned an elbow on the library table with a smug look on his face.

Remus didn't say anything. The book was still in front of him, but he wasn't looking at it. He simply continued to stare straight ahead, taking in Sirius' actions and contemplating his next move. As Sirius had predicted, Remus' cheeks were flushed and had most likely rose in temperature. Sirius waited patiently, proud that he had finally managed to steer Remus away from the novel.

The brown haired young man still did not budge and Sirius was finding it difficult to sit still. He scratched a little at the edge of the table to distract himself for a moment. Remus noticed, and looked down, then looked back up to Sirius.

"Hey," Sirius said with a smirk. "Sorry, did I distract you? Really, I didn't mean too. Sorry."

"You asshole," Remus muttered under his breath, before lunging at Sirius hungrily, kissing him full on the lips. Sirius would have laughed if he'd had the chance.

Remus leaned closer and allowed Sirius to wrap his arms around his waist again. He had a hand behind Sirius' neck, and the other flat against his chest, holding him still so that he could have the best access to the other's mouth as possible. They continued to kiss until their momentum descended, then they separated and Remus leaned his head against Sirius' chest. The larger boy held his companion tightly while smiling to himself. He'd won their little game, and now Remus' attention was his.

"Happy?" Remus asked suddenly.

"Not completely," Sirius replied, still smiling. "Really close though."

"Why? What else do you want?" Remus answered.

"I want you to close your book and come hang out with us for a bit. C'mon, it's the weekend."

Remus grinned into Sirius' chest, and then sat up again to look at Sirius.

"I will," Remus said slowly, "but there's one condition."

Sirius' eyebrows rose in surprise. His mind instantly began formulating plans on how to get out of whatever Remus' condition was so that his boyfriend would come relax for awhile instead of reading or studying.

"Don't look so worried, Padfoot. This is a good condition." Remus said, grinning wickedly, making Sirius both nervous and curious.

"Alright fine, Moony, let's hear it," he replied with a sigh.

"Alright, I'll close my book, and I'll come hang out with you, James, and Peter, as long as you and I find an empty classroom on the way there and have some time to ourselves first," Remus said casually.

It took a moment for Sirius to fully comprehend exactly what Remus had said. "Empty…classroom?" he sputtered.

"Yes, Sirius, an empty classroom. Do you have a problem with that or something?" Remus answered innocently.

"No!" Sirius exclaimed, finally grasping hold of Remus' suggestion. He stood quickly, almost knocking over the chair he'd been sitting in, and took Remus' hand. "That, my love, is a condition I will allow. Let's go!"

Remus laughed, then closed his book and placed it gently back on the bookshelf. He memorized the aisle number so that he could come back another time, and then let Sirius pull him out of the library and away into an old, unused classroom so that they could fulfill his one condition.

* * *

**Liked it? Tell me! Hated it? Tell me!**

**-D0nQuix0te**


	7. Witness

**Hey, look, an update! :D Sorry for the long wait, my lovely readers and reviewers. I hope you have not lost interest in my wee oneshot project!**

**J.K. Rowling is still in the process of signing over all the Harry Potter characters and related themes to me. One day, though, just you wait. **

**Thanks, xLady-Helenax!**

**Pairing:**** Take a wild guess, mates  
****Word-Prompt****: Witness  
****Setting****: mid-years of Hogwarts**

* * *

Witness

Sirius knew he deserved it. He knew that he fully deserved whatever his friends did to him that night and he was grateful to take it. He wanted as much punishment as possible from them, so that he wouldn't feel like he had to punish himself. Not even the month of detentions he had received was good enough. Every single minute of antagonizing scrutiny, every tempered word, _everything_, he deserved to have thrown at him at full force.

That's why Sirius didn't make a move to defend himself when his best friend of many years punched him square in the face with a strength that had been built up after years of playing Quidditch.

He clumsily fell to the dormitory floor as James stood above him with his hands on his head; fingers laced through his black hair, making it stick up even more than it usually did. He was trembling with emotion; whether it was anger, worry, or fear, Sirius wasn't sure. His cheek tingled painfully from James' attack, but it wasn't bad enough for Sirius to care.

Sirius looked to the left and found Peter's legs facing away from him. He moved his gaze upwards and watched as the blonde boy clenched and unclenched his fist around one of the four corner posts of his bed. His stubby fingers tightened against the wood threateningly as he inhaled, then relaxing as he exhaled.

Sirius looked away, ashamed. He had never seen Peter in such a state. Usually the boy was soft and full of laughter and helpfulness, not anger. It was all Sirius' fault. He had brought this change to one of his best friends.

James moved. He was removing his robes, followed by his shirt, and then he walked to his bed without a word and closed himself inside the curtains, though Sirius knew his dark-haired friend wouldn't be doing much sleeping.

He got up from the floor and promptly left the dormitory. He felt like he shouldn't disgrace his friends with his presence any longer, so he made his way down the steps and crossed the common room to lie down on the couch.

He almost gave a sad laugh when he looked up unblinkingly through the common room window and was faced by the full moon. It was ironic, as if it was hanging there just to mock him. Sirius shook violently, refusing to cry, as he turned around in the couch and closed his eyes.

* * *

Sirius didn't know if the first sounds of Gryffindor students coming down to go to breakfast woke him up, or if they just brought him back to reality. Either way, his thoughts had tormented him for the few hours he'd had of silent contemplation.

He got up instantly and went into the dormitory where he showered and changed as quickly as possible, in hopes that James and Peter would sleep in a little longer and wake after he'd left. When he came out of the bathroom fully dressed, he could see the upright silhouette of James behind his bed curtains, but he pretended not to notice and fled the room and left Gryffindor tower to wander the halls alone until classes started.

Sirius managed to stay calm for the rest of the day until they had Potions before lunch. Once he was in the same room as Severus Snape - when he had to look at his face and was unable to smirk, sneer, or insult the Slytherin – he cracked. He couldn't stand the look of smug understanding on the greasy boy's face. He asked Professor Slughorn if he could go to the bathroom, but he took his book bag and disappeared for the rest of the day.

That afternoon, no one caught a single glimpse of Sirius Black or Remus Lupin.

Sirius served his detention in the evening, and did his homework in the abandoned Divination tower instead of returning to the Gryffindor common room. In the middle of the night, he gathered up his courage and walked slowly towards the Hospital Wing.

He would not be seen, he told himself; he _could not_ be seen. He just wanted to check – to reassure himself that Remus was there.

The only light source that illuminated the single occupant of the infirmary was the waning moon through the window. Sirius padded up to the bed where Remus lay asleep. His face looked ominous, pale and hollow, as if he'd been living inside a dark house for ten years without stepping outside. Not even the relaxation of slumber lifted the worry lines from Remus' young face.

Sirius took his chances and sat on the bedside chair and pulled his legs up against himself, leaning his chin on his knees.

"Fuck," he said, voicing his first word all day. "I'm sorry, Remus."

He took a deep breath, shuddering with emotion.

"God, I'm so sorry. I don't even know why I did it. I don't know what came over me," he said distressingly. "I fully expect you to hate me forever, y'know," he continued as his eyes filled with tears. "I guess that's why I'm here. I needed to see you and talk to you one last time."

"You fool," a strained voice rasped. Sirius nearly fell off his chair in fright as he looked at Remus' face. He was so shocked; he couldn't bring himself to say anything and an uncomfortable silence stretched between them.

"I thought you came here to talk to me," Remus enquired without opening his eyes. His voice clearly showed that he was angry. The sandy-haired boy did not continue; he just stayed still as though he was still sleeping.

Sirius opened his mouth and closed it again without saying anything. He rubbed his temples with his fingers, and then tried again. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know it probably means nothing, but I truly am."

"Yeah I guess it doesn't mean anything, since you expect me to hate you anyway, right?" Remus said, this time opening his eyes and turning to look at Sirius.

Sirius gasped at the sadness portrayed in Remus' amber eyes. The smaller boy looked cracked, broken beyond repair. It was as if all happiness had left the boy's soul, leaving him an empty shell of suffering to live the rest of his life in. Remus was destroyed, betrayed, lost and confused. And Sirius had done that to him.

Right then, the tears began to flow. Sirius could not hold back the flood that poured down his cheeks as all his pent up anguish released itself at once. He was a silent crier, having practiced being quiet about his distress while at home under the wrath of his parents.

"I can't believe you think so low of me," Remus continued, refusing to look away from Sirius. "Do you not have any faith at all, that I might be a good enough friend to forgive you? Did you even think that maybe I would get past it when I remembered all the good times we'd had? Sirius, I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt me on purpose, and I'm ashamed that you would think for a moment that I would react so cruelly towards you over one mistake. If that is what you think of me, maybe you are right, and I shouldn't forgive you."

Sirius was sure that this situation could not get any worse. It was bad enough that he'd betrayed Remus' trust and exposed his secret to a Slytherin, but now he had unknowingly insulted one of his closest friends so harshly that a friendship seemed hardly salvageable.

"I – I didn't mean it like that," he stammered, not knowing what to say to make it better. He inwardly cursed himself and his large mouth.

"Sure you didn't mean it like that, just like you didn't mean for Snape to actually follow your directions when you told him how to get into the Shack," Remus replied angrily.

Sirius finally cleared some tears from his face, even though he wasn't sure he could handle seeing the menacing look in Remus' eyes.

"Remus," he moaned. "Remus, please, I didn't mean it, please."

Remus sighed and looked away. They lapsed into silence as Sirius sat shivering and crying and Remus stared at the plain ceiling attempting to sort out his thoughts.

Sirius didn't know how long they stayed that way, but he was aware of the sky outside growing lighter. "I should go," he said quietly. "I'm sorry if I kept you awake. You should be getting a lot of sleep."

"Yeah," Remus replied simply as Sirius lifted himself from his chair and began to walk away. He went slowly, and Remus closed his eyes, fighting back tears of his own. Sirius was almost at the door when Remus bolstered up his courage and stopped him.

"Sirius?" Sirius stopped instantly, but didn't turn around to look at his friend. "I'm going to need time," Remus said just loud enough for the other to hear. "If it's meant to be, things will sort out, but it will take time."

Sirius thanked Merlin that Remus was a forgiving individual.

"I understand, and I will wait," he said softly. He moved to the infirmary door and gripped the handle. "Thanks, Moony," he added, and then swiftly left the wing, shutting the door behind him, finalizing their conversation.

When he closed the door behind him, Sirius leaned back against it and let out a heavy breath. He'd really messed up yesterday; letting Severus Snape be a witness to Remus' condition, but it seemed that the young werewolf could find it in his heart to forgive his friend. Sirius sighed, wishing he could go back in the infirmary and just hug Remus and make everything better, but he knew it was impossible. Like Remus had said, he needed time, and Sirius could respect that. He accepted it, and would simply give Remus the space he needed.

Sirius had already messed up once, and he did not intend on doing it again.

* * *

**I like feedback. –winkwink- :) **

**-D0nQuix0te **


	8. Waiting

**Sorry for taking so long to update, everyone! The only excuse I have is that my betas and I are back to the Evil most commonly known as "school". **

**And no, you did not read wrong: "beta" has become "betas"! It's acknowledgment time!**

**Thank you to **_**xLady-Helenax**_** for continuing to be my beta since the beginning, and thanks to **_**pink striped**_** for joining our forces! **

**Also, this instalment of "Of Wolves and Dogs" is dedicated to **_**2Padfoot00Moony8**_**, who does not like Sirius/Remus stories focused on The Prank, which the last chapter definitely was. Hope you like this one better, 2Padfoot00Moony8! **

**Pairing(s)****: Sirius/Remus with some James/Lily  
****Prompt word****: Waiting  
****Setting****: A couple years after Hogwarts **

* * *

Waiting

Remus sat on the floor against the wall, his head in his hands. Next to him was a door, a bathroom door to be exact, and behind said door was one Lily Potter.

He exhaled gently, waiting in silence for Lily to make some indication that she had gotten a result, or that she needed his help with anything. However, she didn't seem to need any help, which led him to wonder why exactly he needed to be there.

It was then that the door suddenly opened, revealing the young, beautiful Lily Potter.

"So?" Remus asked, too impatient to interpret her silence.

"I have to wait a couple minutes for it to change colours," Lily answered, finally lowering her eyes to look at him sitting on the floor. She dropped down beside him and sighed.

"I hate waiting," she added.

"I do as well, yet I'm still here with you, _waiting_," Remus couldn't help the edge in his voice. He'd been a little busy when Lily had appeared in his fireplace, asking for his assistance.

"And I appreciate it," Lily said and leaned into him happily, thanking him with the gesture.

"I'm not really sure why you couldn't have just gotten James to help you."

"Honestly, Rem, James? He doesn't really understand these things. He'll be happy enough just to get the news."

"Are you implying that I do understand these things?" Remus replied, unable to keep back a grin. "Do I need to remind you that I am male?"

"No, of course not, but, c'mon, you know how it is…"

"Every girl needs a gay friend or something like that?"

"Yeah," Lily laughed. "Something like that. You're one of my closest friends Remus, I'm glad you're here with me."

Then she stood quickly and offered him a hand. He accepted and she hoisted him into a standing position. "Let's go look, it should be ready now," Lily said as she pulled them both into the bathroom. Remus could feel a nervous quake in his friend's hand, though he knew she was happy, if not excited.

Lily picked up a little white implement off of the counter and looked at it, saying nothing. The tip was a deep purple.

Remus did not rush her, he just watched as she closed her eyes and took her other hand to place it over her heart. She took a deep breath and then smiled. She opened her eyes again and turned to look at Remus.

"I assume that purple means…" Remus started.

Lily nodded and her smile grew, suddenly illuminating her face with joy. "James and I are going to be parents. Remus, oh my gosh, I'm going to have a child!"

With that, she dropped the pregnancy test back onto the counter and hugged Remus tightly, unable to hold back her happiness. Remus could only laugh and hug back. "Congratulations," he told her softly.

When they parted, Lily was still grinning madly. "Thanks for coming over on such short notice, Remus," she said as they walked from the bathroom to the sitting room.

"No problem," Remus replied, though he couldn't help but think about the unfinished business he'd left at home in order to floo to the Potter residence. "Thanks for wanting to share the moment with me." He grinned and gave her another quick hug.

"Of course," Lily answered. "I won't keep you any longer, I'm sure you're busy. Thanks again."

Remus nodded and stepped towards the fireplace to take a pinch of floo powder. "Tell James I say congrats, alright?"

Lily nodded happily. "Say hi to Sirius too, and feel free to tell him the results."

Remus laughed. "At this rate, everyone will know before James does!"

Lily chuckled. "I think he'll be home soon. Take care now, and feel free to stop by for a visit if we don't see each other at Order meetings!"

"Of course," Remus answered, and then he gave a quick bow and threw the pinch of powder into the flames. A moment later, he was gone.

When he reached his friendly cottage home he immediately leaped up the stairs to his bedroom so that he could pick up where he'd left off when Lily had interrupted him.

He entered the room and the first thing he saw was an irritable looking Sirius Black sitting on his bed shirtless with very messy hair. "I thought you'd never get back," the dark-haired man breathed out in relief.

"Sorry," was all Remus could say before he was across the room and climbing onto the bed in front of Sirius.

Sirius grinned and leaned back down onto the mattress, pulling the young werewolf down with him. He didn't ask for an explanation, nor did he give Remus time to give one, before he fiercely put their lips together.

They kissed thoroughly while Sirius worked on getting Remus' shirt off and Remus enjoyed the fact that Sirius was already lacking one.

"Sorry I made you wait so long," Remus muttered when their lips separated for a quick moment.

"No matter," Sirius answered while undoing Remus' belt. Once he was successful, he flipped the two of them over, claiming dominance, and did away with his own pants.

Their lips connected once again, their breathing ragged as their movements became more aggressive. Remus moaned as Sirius' tongue slid across the roof of his mouth, sending a jolting sensation through his tingling body. In response, he ran a hand over his companion's chest, along his firm abdominal muscles, and down to his groin. He grinned against Sirius' mouth when the other gave a shiver of pleasure.

Sirius trailed a path of kisses down Remus' chest gently, teasing. Remus continued to graze his fingers across Sirius' warm skin, moving slowly, opening his eyes to watch Sirius' fill with lustful anticipation.

"_Remus…_"

A little while later, they lay side by side, breathing heavily, holding each other close.

"That was well worth the wait," Sirius joked. Remus shivered as Sirius' warm breath tickled his shoulder.

"Good to know," he answered, grinning.

Sirius gave a little yawn. "How're things with Lil?"

"Great," Remus told him. "She did a pregnancy test while I was there and it came up positive. She's going to have a baby."

Sirius propped himself up on an elbow to look directly into Remus' eyes. "Seriously? Wow, Prongs, a father!"

Remus laughed. "Scary isn't it?"

"Not as scary as having a few crazy unrelated uncles," Sirius answered, winking.

"Especially one from the most insane house of Black. The poor child…"

"Hey!" Sirius gave Remus a playful punch, eliciting a low chuckle from his smiling lover.

They lapsed into silence, relaxing against each other, enjoying the physical contact and the sound of each other's heartbeat.

"Sirius?" said Remus suddenly.

"Mhm?"

"Have you even thought of having kids? I mean, did you even imagine that you would have any when you were older?"

"Nope," Sirius answered. "I never dated anyone who made me think that far into the future until you, and even if we wanted a baby, we're missing a couple things."

Remus couldn't help but grin. "Nicely said, Sirius. There's always adoption."

"That there is, mon cheri."

"Your French accent sucks."

"Thanks, love."

Remus leaned in and gave Sirius a gentle kiss on the cheek. "I meant it in the best way possible. Well, in any case, I wouldn't want to bring children into our life until this war is over."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Are you already planning that far ahead?"

Remus paused for a moment to contemplate what he'd said. In the end, he simply shrugged. "I guess talking to Lily about having a baby put me into a fatherly mood. I don't know if it's hope or wistful thinking."

"Ah," Sirius answered. "Then, in the event that the war finishes happily, we'll talk about it."

"Sound good."

"Do you actually think I would make a good father? I mean, you're already sympathizing for James and Lily's unborn child," Sirius teased.

"I don't think you'd be terrible. Even if you are, I'll make up for it," Remus replied, grinning.

"Right, if it was left up to you, you'd raise our child to be a perfect prefect with Outstanding in every subject."

"I don't see anything wrong with that, personally," Remus countered, "And anyways those kinds of people always manage to seduce the most attractive and dashing of companions."

An affronted expression crossed Sirius' face. "You seduced me? And here I thought that I was the charming one. But seriously," Sirius continued as his expression became earnest, "as long as you're happy, I'll be happy. Though I assure you, I will teach them how to ride my motorcycle."

"Then they will be well-rounded." Remus yawned and laid his head on Sirius' chest. "We'll wait until after the war."

Sirius relaxed, smiling contentedly and they held each other until they both fell asleep.

**

* * *

**

See you next time (hopefully soon!),

**-D0nQuix0te **


	9. Six

**This chapter is dedicated to 13figureskater-Draco'sgirl, who said that it would be her favourite gift if I updated just in time for Christmas :)**

**Thanks to my betas, pink striped, and xLady-Helenax (who can't brain today; she has the dumb. For this reason, one of the lines near the end is dedicated to her, maybe you will figure out which one? :P)**

**HAPPY CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAYS!  
****Christmas day isn't even actually IN this oneshot…sorry about that. There were other things to write about :P **

**I own nothing but the computer I used to write and post this story. **

**Pairing:**** Sirius/Remus  
****Setting:**** Hogwarts, year six or seven, Christmas break  
****Word Prompt****: Six **

**

* * *

**

Six

"Hey, Moony."

"Hello, Padfoot."

"Guess what?"

"What?"

"Prongs and Wormtail are ditching us for the holidays."

Remus, who was sitting in a chair by the common room fire, looked up from his book. Sirius was standing behind the large chair, elbows propped up on the top of it. Remus turned in the seat so he could see Sirius' face.

"I figured Prongs would be going home for Christmas. Wormtail as well?" he inquired.

"Yup," Sirius answered. "As far as I can tell, we'll be the only Gryffindors left. There's no way I'm going home though. I'm glad you'll be here too."

"Yes, I'll be glad to have the company as well," Remus replied, setting his book down on the fireside table. At the gesture, Sirius moved to sit on the nearby couch.

"I'll make a deal with you," Sirius said.

Remus raised an eyebrow. When a phrase such as "I'll make a deal with you", "I'd bet you seven sickles that...", or "Want to see this new spell I learned?" ever came from Sirius Black's mouth, the possibility of mayhem, detention, or humiliation was very high.

"You want to do homework over the holidays, hm?" Sirius continued.

"Yes," Remus said carefully.

"Alright, James and Pete leave tomorrow morning, and then the day after that is Christmas. Since we're the only ones who will be here, spend Christmas with me."

Remus nodded. "I would obviously do so, Sirius, we don't need a deal for that."

"There's more," Sirius said, smirking. "After Christmas, I want us to spend the next six days, until New Years, doing stuff together and having an awesome holiday. After that, you can study if your heart so desires. What do you think?"

As Remus pondered the prospect, the fire crackled in the hearth. The common room was quiet; many people were outside or hanging out with friends elsewhere in the castle.

"Six days?" Remus asked.

Sirius nodded. He was worried that Remus would turn down the offer, saying that he had far too much studying to do to spend so much time away from his schoolwork. Sirius was prepared to simply demand that his friend spend all of Christmas and New Years Eve day with him, if it came to that. He watched Remus intently, waiting.

Remus smiled at Sirius. "Alright. Six days; I'm all yours, no homework, I promise."

Sirius' face lit up as though Christmas had come early. "Excellent!" he exclaimed, and then pulled a piece of parchment out of his cloak pocket. "I've got it all planned out, so we have something to do on every day and it's going to be a lot of fun and you won't regret agreeing to this!"

"Take a breath, Padfoot," Remus said through his laughter, then grabbed the parchment out of Sirius' hands so he could take a look at what Sirius had in store for them over the next week.

**

* * *

**

Wednesday, December 26t**h****, Day One: **

"There's gotta be something over here," Sirius muttered as he and Remus walked side by side down a seventh floor corridor of Hogwarts.

Remus had the Marauders Map unfolded in front of him, inspecting the fine, inked lines. They were taking advantage of the fact that there were maybe only a couple students left in the entire castle to explore the halls for things to add to the map.

"Mhm," Remus acknowledged. "We haven't found anything else in this vicinity of the castle. Either the founders just left the area alone, or we're missing something."

They inspected the hallway together, tapping their wands on discoloured stones and statues or tapestries, but they didn't find anything.

"We'll come back with James and Peter," Sirius muttered, needing some sort of reassurance after their disappointing failure. "Maybe Peter can crawl his way around some of these statues and find something."

Remus was still looking at the map.

"Whatcha looking at, Moony?"

"Come here," was all Remus said. Sirius came to stand by his elbow and looked to where his friend was pointing.

In a room labelled "Librarian office and bedchambers", which branched off the library itself, was a dot with the name "Madam Pince". That was not abnormal, but what was different was the company of a second dot, which displayed the name "Argus Filch".

"Ha!" Sirius exclaimed. "Wonder what they could be doing in there…oh man, I can't wait to tell Prongs about this."

"I think this might qualify as 'too much information'," Remus added quietly.

"Not like it's surprising, is it? They're both cranky and are unappreciative of creative uniqueness and they both generally lack respect from the student population -"

"If by 'creative uniqueness', you mean rule breaking, then that is a valid point. Still, it's their own private lives, so we should just ignore it," Remus replied, though he still regarded the map inquisitively.

"That's just like you," Sirius muttered. "This is a new opportunity to publically humiliate Filch! Let's go back to the common room and start planning. The Marauders will make sure the second term starts off with a bang."

With that, Sirius happily pulled Remus back to Gryffindor tower.

**

* * *

**

Thursday, December 27**th****, Day Two:**

"Will you do the honours, Messer. Moony?"

"Yes, of course, Messer. Padfoot."

Remus ticked the pear in the painting of a bowl of fruit, and moments later they were walking through the entrance to the kitchens of Hogwarts. They were hardly there for two seconds before a couple house elves were at their feet.

"Hello, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin!" one of the elves squeaked happily, as most of the kitchen elves recognized the four Marauders quite well after the many visits the devious boys had made.

"Please take a seat, sirs!" another one added, and Sirius and Remus complied with bright grins, to sit at the table as treats and hot chocolate piled high with whipped cream and cinnamon appeared before them. They offered many thanks, before picking up their warm, frothing mugs.

They enjoyed a warm afternoon by the kitchen fireplace, the house elves eager to do anything they could to please the two young men.

After a pause in conversation, Sirius began to laugh. When Remus gave him a questioning look, the other only gave him a devilish grin. "You've got whipped cream on your nose," he stated merrily.

Remus rolled his eyes and lifted a hand to remove the offending white substance.

Sirius beat him there. He used his index finger to clean all the whipped cream off. "Got it," he said.

"I see that," Remus replied, and then blushed as Sirius proceeded to lick the whipped cream off his finger.

**

* * *

**

**Friday, December 28th, Day Three:**

Remus had never understood the attraction that both Sirius and James found in flying on broomsticks.

His stomach lurched as he half-heartedly kicked off from the ground to follow his black-haired friend who had wasted no time getting into the air.

"I'll race you too the edge of the forest!" Sirius called.

Remus groaned, but accelerated anyway. As the werewolf could have predicted, Sirius made it to the forest first and was flying along its edge when he got there.

"I feel sick," Remus complained quietly. Sirius, who knew that Remus was still uncomfortable with flying, grinned.

"It's all mental," he said, "In your head." He tapped his temple with a finger to attest his point.

"Are you calling me mental, Padfoot?"

"Nah, I meant subconscious or whatever; you know what I mean. If any of us are mental, it's Prongs."

"Oh yes, it's defiantly Prongs. I would never have thought for a moment that you may be the mental one of our little group."

"I have the tiny inkling that you're being sarcastic."

Remus winked.

"Well fine then, but you love my mentalness! It would seem most people do; especially the ladies." Sirius winked back and then flew off again towards the Quidditch pitch.

Remus was caught off guard for a moment, before following and calling "_Mentalness_ isn't a word!" as he went.

**

* * *

**

Saturday, December 29**st****, Day Four: **

The two young men made their way slowly down the main street of Hogsmeade, winter cloaks pulled tight around their frames to fend off the cold, winter weather.

They found a spot near the end of the lane, close to the fence that encased the shrieking shack, where the forest started. There were large rocks located there, perfect for sitting on. Many times, the Marauders would spend the end of their Hogsmeade afternoons there, once they were done their shopping.

"Shit, it's cold," Sirius muttered as he dropped his Zonko's bag onto a small rock so that he didn't have to hold it anymore.

"Indeed," Remus agreed. "That's probably why there are no Hogsmeade visits so close to Christmas."

"Maybe, but coming to Hogsmeade is more fun when it's not allowed."

Remus laughed. He'd really enjoyed his afternoon with Sirius, just the two of them. The town was quiet and devoid of any other students. It was snowing gently, and Remus found it quite peaceful.

He looked over at Sirius to find the other boy looking at him.

"Yes, Padfoot?"

Sirius' eyes widened as if he only just realized that Remus was looking at him. "Oh, nothing, I was just thinking."

"Oh dear, that could result in something dangerous," Remus replied, grinning devilishly.

"Hey!" Sirius tackled Remus to the ground while laughing triumphantly. They tumbled to the ground, Sirius successfully pinning Remus beneath him.

They stayed in that position for a moment, both red in the face and grinning.

"You know I'm strong enough to push you off me, right?" Remus questioned, tightening his grip on the front of Sirius' cloak to prove his point, ready to vault the animagus off him.

"I'd like to see you try!"

A moment later, they had switched positions. "I win," Remus stated, grinning wildly.

"I don't know about that, I'm the one with a very attractive male straddling me!"

Remus turned bright red and jumped off while Sirius guffawed loudly. "Come on," he said and grabbed Remus' arm. "Let's go to Honeydukes on our way back to the passageway."

"Sure," Remus answered, letting himself be dragged away, trying to look calm, as though Sirius' comment had meant nothing more to him than playful teasing.

**

* * *

**

Sunday, December 30**th****, Day Five:**

"Firewhisky!" Sirius exclaimed, brandishing a few bottles in front of Remus, who was sitting on his bed writing in a journal. "Hey, you're not doing homework, are you?"

"No," Remus laughed, closing the journal and putting it on his bedside table before eying the drinks Sirius had brought. "Padfoot, New Years is tomorrow."

"I know that, Moony, this is for tonight. The day isn't over yet!"

Remus sighed. "Fine, fine," then he reached out and took a bottle from his friend. He opened the bottle expertly, and took a hearty swig before offering it back to Sirius.

Laughing, Sirius accepted it and took a large drink himself. "We've really converted you, y'know. Without your Marauders, I bet you'd be terrified at the idea of drink Firewhisky in your school dorm room."

Remus shrugged. "Everyone's entitled to some fun every so often."

"That they are. Have you enjoyed our "Six Days of Awesomeness" so far?"

"I have indeed," Remus replied. "You really like adding the suffix 'ness' to other words, don't know?"

"A what-ix? Nevermind, don't answer that," Sirius said before handing the bottle back too Remus and heading to his bed to change into his night time boxers and t-shirt. Remus followed him, taking a few gulps of Firewhisky as he walked slowly.

"Suffix: a letter or syllable that's added to the end of a word to give it a new meaning or grammatical function."

"I said don't answer! Quit your smartness and drink more."

Remus decided not to point out Sirius' use of 'ness' again and sat down on Sirius' bed and drank more, just as instructed. Sirius joined him, having opened a bottle of his own and they talked and drank until they were both feeling somewhat lethargic and crazed.

"And then the hag says, 'got any nails?' and the apothecary says 'no', and the hag answers 'got any newt eyes?'!"

"Sirius, that was terrible. I don't think Peter could tell a worse joke."

"Aw, that's not very nice."

"Well, it wasn't funny."

"I meant the bit about Peter."

"Did I say something about Peter?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, well Pete's not available right now; maybe you could send him an owl."

"…what?"

Remus finished off his bottle of the fiery drink and it joined a couple others that had already found their way to the floor.

"My head hurts," Remus stated.

"It's probably too full of smart."

"I'm certain that sentence didn't make sense."

"I'm certain that – that Pete's relatives might not understand an owl showing up at their place."

"Oh yeah, muggles, right? Well, it'll have to wait 'till he gets back then."

"What where we going to tell him?"

"That my head really hurts," Remus groaned, laying down and resting his head on Sirius' pillow.

"Right, 'kay," Sirius answered as he yawned.

"Oh! Let me know if you've heard this one. A pure-blood, a muggle-born, and a poltergeist are riding a dragon – hey, Rem? Moooooony?"

It seemed as though Remus had fallen asleep, finally escaping the aching in his head. For a moment, Sirius pondered the fact that his bed had been involuntarily stolen, but he wasn't sure he minded all that much, so he made do with what space was left in the bed and fell asleep beside his sandy-haired friend.

To be continued…

**

* * *

**

To be continued?! Yes that's right, New Years is yet to come! Stay tuned for part two!

**Leave me some feedback? :)**

**-D0nQuix0te**


	10. Bottle

**Welcome to part 2! **

**Thank you to my betas, pink striped and xLady-Helenax!**

**Pairing: Sirius/Remus  
****Setting: Sixth or seventh year of Hogwarts  
****Word-prompt: Bottle**

* * *

Bottle

When Remus woke up on New Year's Eve day, he realized two major things.

First, it was the last day that Sirius was allowed to have his full attention. After tonight, he would need to return to his forgotten homework in order to be ready for the start of the new term. He found himself a little melancholy at the thought of needing to leave time in his day for other things aside from spending time with Sirius.

Second, he wasn't sleeping in the bed he normally slept in. He tried to recall the previous night, and successfully remembered sitting down on Sirius' bed at some point, which would explain why he was still there. Sirius was no longer in the room.

"Good morning!" Sirius exclaimed as he came out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist and his hair a tangled, wet mess.

"Ow," Remus answered, his eyes lingering on Sirius' well-toned chest a moment too long. He placed a hand on his head, which was still hurting after having consumed so much alcohol.

"Drink that," Sirius said with a grin, pointing to a flask on his bedside table. Remus obliged and felt instant relief once the potion was gone.

"What do you have planned for today?" Remus asked as he slipped out of Sirius' bed and stretched. He felt a little stiff; it had been awhile since he'd slept in. In fact, he didn't remember the last time Sirius had been awake _before_ him.

"Actually, nothing much," Sirius answered as he rummaged through his trunk and pulled on a shirt. "I have tonight planned, but nothing else. Do you have something in mind?"

Remus thought for a moment and then replied, "How about a game of chess to start?" Sirius loved playing wizards' chess, but was tired of being beaten by James every single time. Usually Remus was too busy with homework or Prefect duties to grant Sirius a game.

"Yes!" Sirius exclaimed, "Right after breakfast?"

"Sure," Remus said with a smile.

They sat by the fire in the common room a couple hours later in the midst of a gruelling game of chess. The pieces were getting competitive and were therefore rather mouthy.

"Don't think you'll be around much longer, pipsqueak," Remus' knight growled at Sirius' nearby pawn.

Sirius' queen came to her minion's rescue, as he urged her forward to demolish the arrogant knight. "You should not threaten others when you yourself are in danger," she said menacingly before she brutally shoved the knight off the playing field.

It had been a close game; however, Sirius had a lot of practice, and pulled off a victory.

The two young men spent the rest of the day in a similar fashion. They kept each other company in the common room, chatting, playing chess and Exploding Snap, and went down to meals together, simply enjoying their time with one another.

Slowly, night began to fall and Sirius grew more excited.

"I'll be back in a second," he said as he bolted up the stairs to the dormitory, emerging a moment later with both his and Remus' outdoor cloaks and two bottles of butterbeer.

Remus joined him at the bottom of the stairs, eyeing the cloaks with curiosity. "Where are we going?" he wondered aloud.

"Follow me," was Sirius' answer, as he pushed open the portrait hole.

Remus complied, and followed Sirius up through the castle. Eventually they stepped out onto the top balcony of the Astronomy tower. The open air was refreshing but not too windy. Remus gladly accepted the cloak that Sirius offered him, and hurriedly put it on while Sirius pulled his own cloak over his broad shoulders.

"How well thought-through of you, Padfoot," Remus said with mock pride.

"Yeah, sometimes I _do_ plan things in advance," Sirius replied sarcastically. They both chuckled as they stepped towards the ledge of the balcony, leaning against the cold stone to look up at the stars.

"It's a nice night," Remus said quietly.

"It is," Sirius agreed.

"What do you suppose everyone else is doing right now?"

Sirius shrugged. "That Slytherin guy and the Ravenclaw girl are probably alone in their common rooms," he replied, a touch of pity in his voice. "I don't care about the Slytherin bloke, but it's too bad the Ravenclaw has to spend New Year's alone; especially since that's how she spent Christmas."

Remus was instantly glad that he was not the only person from Gryffindor who had stayed at school for the holidays. The past few days would have been so different without Sirius.

"I bet the teachers have some sort of celebration amongst themselves," Remus answered. "Maybe they realized that those two would be alone and invited them?"

"Maybe," Sirius answered. "I hope they've had as good of a holiday as I have," he said, grinning at Remus. Then he added under his breath, "Well, the Ravenclaw at least…"

Remus laughed. "I'm glad you've had fun this holiday even though Prongs and Wormtail aren't around."

"Yup," Sirius answered happily, "How about you?"

"It's been wonderful, Sirius," he answered honestly.

"Good," the other answered. Then he leaned down to where he'd set the bottles of butterbeer.

Sirius opened one of the bottles and handed it to Remus before opening another for himself. He lifted it towards Remus, and said happily, "Happy New Year, Moony!"

Remus mirrored the action and they clanked their bottles together. "Happy New Year, Padfoot," he replied with a smile. "Is it exactly midnight, then?" he asked Sirius, as he wasn't wearing a watch.

Sirius shrugged. "Perhaps not yet, but it's close enough, right?"

Remus' eyebrows furrowed as he watched his friend. "I would have thought you would be the type to go out to a party and enjoy yourself immensely before doing the countdown from ten, promptly kissing someone on the exact second that the New Year began," he said simply.

Sirius smirked at his friend's thorough logic. "I don't know about a party, I think I'd rather be here with you, anyway, and who said I wasn't greatly enjoying myself?" he said. Remus gave a non-committal shrug.

Sirius thought for a brief moment, looking out at the bright stars that decorated the pitch dark night, before continuing.

"10 – 9 – 8," he started, turning towards Remus once again. The other young man just watched with a look of curiosity and amusement.

"7 – 6 – 5." Remus noted that Sirius was closer to him then he had been when the makeshift countdown had begun. He could feel Sirius' warm breath on his cheeks. He grew flushed, figuring out what might happen when Sirius reached zero.

"4 – 3 – 2," Sirius whispered, as he was so close to Remus that he need not speak very loudly. He hoped his companion could not hear the sound of his heart thumping rapidly against his chest.

Remus felt the movement of Sirius' lips against his own when "1," was uttered, and then the pressure of his lips became more intense, as Sirius pressed closer to him, and he instinctively pressed back.

The kiss was gentle at first, but once Sirius knew that Remus wasn't going to push him away, it became more passionate. Sirius wrapped protective arms around Remus, while the other's hands ghosted up his torso to rest on his chest by his heart.

They remained that way, closely intertwined, lips moving against each other's, until well after the new year – which was sure to be full of new, exciting experiences – had officially begun.

**

* * *

**

I hope you all have a great New Years!

**Thanks for reading ^^  
****-D0nQuix0te **


	11. Puzzle

**I apologize for taking so long to update! I missed you guys I'm going to get as much writing done this summer as possible so that you won't have to wait too long for updates :P **

**Prompt****: Puzzle****  
Pairing****: Sirius/Remus****  
Setting:**** 6****th**** or 7****th**** year-ish**

**Merci, **_**xLady-Helenax**_**, for being my beta! (And **_**pink striped**_**, but she was in a different country when this was being beta'd xD)**

**

* * *

**

**Puzzle**

"Hey, what is that?"

Sirius Black looked up and watched his best friend, James, walk into the dormitory. The tall, black-haired young man loosened his Gryffindor tie before flopping down onto his bed, waiting for Sirius to answer.

Sirius looked down at the little muggle book he was working on. Each page featured a number puzzle on it, the difficulty increasing the further into the book you got. Sirius was currently staring at an easy one, trying his hardest to figure out where he should put what number.

"They're called… Sudokus," he told James.

"It's called _what_?" James replied immediately, a look of utter confusion on his face.

"Never mind, it's just a muggle puzzle book I got over the summer. I'm learning how to solve them."

James just stared at his best friend for a moment. Sirius stared back. There was a minute of silence, where neither of them said, or did, anything.

"What?" Sirius asked, no longer able to be patient.

"Are you feeling alright?" James answered with a grin. "Siri, this isn't like you. I can't believe you're spending time on that instead of thinking up pranks or impressing girls. Who do you think you are, Moony?" He got up from his bed and crossed the room to get a look at the puzzles. "Yeah," he said, after a moment of inspecting the squares and numbers on the page. "This is something Moony would do, not you."

Sirius avoided meeting his friend's eye, and simply said, "Exactly."

Once again, there was silence as James thought about what Sirius had said. Then he started to laugh. Sirius glared at his friend and threw the Sudoku book onto the floor beside his bed. James continued laughing as Peter suddenly walked into the room. Their short friend stopped once he took in the scene unfolding before him, and asked, "What's so funny?"

Sirius groaned. "Nothing, Wormtail, nothing's funny. Prongs is just being a git."

As his laughter died down slightly, James crossed the room and took hold of Peter's arm. "Look, look at what Sirius was doing."

Before Sirius could grab the book again, James had gotten a hold of it and was showing it to Peter. Peter didn't seem to understand. "That doesn't look funny, Prongs, it looks boring and… Moony-like."

This only made James laugh more. "Moony-like, is right, Pete! Padfoot's trying to be impressive," he told Peter.

Sirius growled and jumped up from the bed, grabbing the book away from James and stuffing it deep into his trunk.

Then, Peter understood, and Sirius groaned again as his two friends' laughter filled the room once again.

**

Peter and James eventually left to take a walk around the castle, leaving Sirius on his own once again. He waited a few minutes so that he could be sure that they were gone before taking the Sudoku book out and trying again.

James had mocked him endlessly about his futile attempts to look smart so that Moony would be interested in him. Peter tried to actually give some real advice, saying that Remus was already close to Sirius that there was no need to impress him.

Sirius sighed. He was going to try anyway. He knew it was kind of lame, and Remus would probably laugh at him too, but in a much more subtle way then their Quidditch-star friend had.

Since the common room was mostly empty, Sirius crept downstairs and got comfortable by the fire, focusing his attention on the puzzles.

**

"Hey, Sirius."

Sirius had been so deeply involved with solving his puzzle that he hadn't noticed Remus coming through the portrait hole and walking towards him by the fire. "Moony!" he answered, startled. "Back from your study group?"

Remus sat down across from him in another chair. "Yeah, it's getting late." He eyed Sirius's book. "What are you working on this late instead of fooling around with James or sleeping?"

"Ah, nothing," Sirius replied unconvincingly. He shrugged, trying to act normal. He was finding it difficult to ignore the golden glow that the common room fire casted on Remus's hair. No, acting normal wasn't going to work.

"Right," Remus said. He could tell that his friend was uncomfortable for some reason. An odd silence stretched between them as Sirius looking intently into his lap and Remus watched the fire, occasionally glancing at Sirius.

"Is something wrong, Padfoot?"

Sirius jumped a little and looked up at Remus. "Hm? Oh, no, I'm fine, Moony, really!"

Remus knew his friend was lying. He got up and crouched beside Sirius' chair. "Are you having trouble with homework or something? Let me see, I might be able to help." Even as he was saying the words, he knew this wasn't the case. Sirius and James didn't show it well, but they were just as intelligent as Remus himself, but the werewolf didn't know what else to try.

"Oh, it's not homework, Moony, it's just –,"

"Oh," Remus said, as he finally caught a glimpse of Sirius' Sudoku book. "I've seen these before! I didn't know you were interested in that kind of thing."

Sirius couldn't stop himself from blushing. This wasn't how he imagined this moment. "Yeah," Sirius answered, thinking to himself that he had to act cool about it, "They're okay…it's not really a hobby of mine or anything."

Remus nodded. He was still shocked that Sirius would even attempt these kinds of mind puzzles. "Hm, looks like you've just started this one. Feel free to carry on. Sorry if I interrupted you."

_Damnit_, Sirius thought. He had already solved as much as he could…he wasn't sure he had the concentration level for this, and it wouldn't be any easier with Remus leaning so close to him that he could feel the heat off the other's body. He could even feel a faint tickle as Remus breathed near his forearm.

Remus shifted his gaze to Sirius' face to see that he was a little flustered looking. The werewolf grinned and looked back at the puzzle. "A two goes there," he said, pointing to a vacant square.

"Oh, yes," Sirius answered quickly and wrote in the two. "Thanks."

"No problem," Remus answered.

Sirius sighed. "I'm actually not very good at them; it just makes me look smart." He moved uncomfortably. There was no way he could get out of this situation without just telling Remus the truth.

Remus grinned. "Why do you need to look smart? Everyone knows you're smart already." He didn't understand Sirius's weird mood; the Gryffindor was never nervous or shy, he was confident, smart, and witty. Those were just a few things that Remus admired about Sirius, amongst other things. Remus didn't like admitting it, but he cared for Sirius in a different way than he did for James and Peter. He'd been careful not to think about it too much; he didn't want to ruin a perfectly good friendship.

"Well, I don't care about what everyone thinks…"

"Just one person?" Remus asked a little too quickly. He tried to not overreact or pretend like he was disappointed that Sirius was trying so hard to impress some girl. Oh, maybe she was a Ravenclaw…that would make sense; Sirius might feel like he had to act more like an intellectual. Remus started to think of all the classes Sirius had with Ravenclaw House before he realized what his mind was doing and commanded it to stop.

"Something like that." Sirius then had an idea. "Hey, do you think you could help me?"

Remus looked up at him in surprise. "Uh, sure?"

"You seem to know how these things work. Could you give me some tips?" The plan was to act like there was someone else to impress, aside from Remus. Sirius could always come up with a different plan to make Remus interested in him later, as long as he didn't screw this up now.

"Yeah, okay," Remus agreed. He then traced a vertical line of squares with his fingers. "This line is missing a 3, an 8, and a 9, but 3 and 9 can't go in this spot because those numbers are already in that quadrant. Only the 8 can go there."

Sirius' eye widened. Remus definitely thought about these things a different way than he did. "Thanks, Moony, that really helps," he said as he wrote in the number. After doing that, he was able to fill in a couple more squares around it.

"Hey, why don't you sit up here? That looks uncomfortable."

Remus gladly stood from his crouched position and stretched his legs. Sirius moved over so that they sat together in the chair, their bodies pressed against either other.

"Oh, there's a 7, there," Remus pointed.

"Where?" Sirius didn't see what Remus meant.

"There," Remus said again, taking the quill from Sirius' fingers and adding the number in himself.

"Oh, there," Sirius laughed. "Now give that back!"

Remus pulled his hand away just in time, holding the quill out of reach. "Tell me what girl you're trying to impress first." Remus grinned devilishly, though inside his head he was panicking about what Sirius might say, or how he would react to the teasing. Remus couldn't help it though; he wanted to know who could hold Sirius' attention…

"Aw, Moony! C'mon!"

Remus just smiled and waited.

"It's no one, it doesn't matter," Sirius tried.

"I don't give up that easily!"

"Geez, you're more impish than James sometimes."

"Of course, would I be part of the Marauders otherwise? You know you love this part of me." Remus finished the statement with a joking wink.

Sirius visibly reddened, which was something Remus hadn't anticipated. He forced himself not to jump to conclusions. Sirius probably just didn't want his friend to figure out who he liked.

"I won't tell anyone, I promise. Not even James, if he doesn't know already. Who is it?"

Sirius couldn't stand that smug look on Remus' face, taunting him with its rugged sexiness and determined eyes and smirking lips. Oh lord, his _lips_.

"Moony…"

Remus smiled and leaned forward, ready for Sirius to finally crack and tell him which girl he liked. He hoped he would be able to keep himself composed when Sirius confirmed his interest in someone else. "Yes, Padfoot?"

Before he could stop himself, Sirius closed the distance between himself and Remus, and kissed him, hoping he wasn't going to make a fool of himself.

Remus was so shocked that he didn't react. Sirius didn't like a Ravenclaw, it would seem, he didn't even like a girl. Remus reached out and clenched the front of Sirius' shirt, as though making sure the moment was real, and then he responded to the kiss, leaning in even closer.

When they broke apart, Sirius didn't move away. He wasn't sure if he wanted to have to look into his friend's eye. Unfortunately for him, Remus lifted Sirius' chin and caught his gaze. He gave Sirius another quick kiss before leaning a little further back.

"Sirius, I – I thought you, I mean I thought…"

"That I was straight? I know. Never mind that, you know the truth now."

Remus smiled, and hugged Sirius. They remained like that for a few moments, before Sirius felt he had to get a couple things straight. "So, you were okay with that, then? The whole… us kissing… thing."

Remus laughed. "Yes, I'm okay with that."

"So that would imply…"

"Yes, Sirius, I like you."

"Oh. Okay. That's good."

"Very good, indeed."

Smiling, Remus leaned in for another kiss.

* * *

**(And then James and Peter returned to find their best friends snogging and never mocked Sirius' tactics again.)** **Haha**

**Thanks for reading, let me know what you thought! :)**

**-D0nQuix0te**


	12. Colours

**AM I THE WORST PERSON EVER OR AM I THE WORST PERSON EVER. It's been like a year since I updated, I am so sorry. **

**Prompt: Colours (it is so vague... but really, it DID inspire this... it just kind of morphed while I was writing...)**

**As always, thanks to xLady-Helenax for being my beta!**

* * *

Colours

Remus has made a habit of showing up at Grimmauld Place more often than any other member of the Order of the Phoenix. He really has no reason to be there; Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape are all at Hogwarts during the school year, and the eldest Weasleys could still be found at the Burrow.

Grimmauld Place is quiet, incredibly so compared to how it was over the summer holidays, full to the brim with teenage hormones. Now there is Sirius and Kreacher. And Remus.

When he steps from the fire, Sirius is already there. The room is still and calm and dark and Sirius isn't moving or doing anything at all. He's perched on the chesterfield, watching the fireplace; waiting for the friend he knows will appear. Even before the green flames have started to subside, Sirius is on his feet and ready.

Sirius smiles as Remus brushes ash off his tattered robes. Without a word, they embrace each other, arms and hands lingering a moment too long. Remus nearly trips over an ottoman as he steps back.

"Couldn't have turned a light on?" Remus says with a grin and he pulls his wand out of his inner breast pocket and then mutters, "Lumos."

Sirius is grinning devilishly under the glow of the magic light.

"Nope," he answers. "I do it purposely so you trip on things."

Sarcasm is good, Remus notes. He likes it when Sirius is sarcastic, because it means that his day hasn't been totally rubbish so far. It means he's in a decent mood, and maybe they'll spend the evening brood-free. Mostly when Remus appears in the House of Black, they chat or just keep each other company, sometimes over dinner. Other times they look at old photographs and reminisce. Occasionally they play a game of Exploding Snap, but it isn't nearly as fun with just the two of them and no James or Peter to increase the odds and add more excitement.

It's nothing like how it was when they were younger. Something feels different, like life has caught up to them and worn them out and they haven't nearly the amount of energy that they used to. It's as though years of their lives have been stolen. Sirius was so young when Peter framed him. All the years that he would have been making the effective transition from being fresh out of Hogwarts and the Order to being an adult and making a living had passed by while dementors fed off his soul in Azkaban. Remus, on the other hand, had had a lot of freedom compared to his imprisoned friend, but felt trapped all the same, with nothing left but a monthly curse.

Things feel different, because they are, yet every time Remus shows up to visit, it becomes more normal. They are not longer school friends sneaking around the castle at night; they are adult friends, and they just need time to adjust.

"Tea?" asks Sirius, gesturing to the doorway that leads to the hall. Remus nods and then follows Sirius out of the room and into the kitchen. Remus takes a seat at the table and allows Sirius to prepare the tea in silence.

"Has anyone else been by?" Remus prompts as Sirius sits down. He figures he knows the answer to the question before Sirius even thinks about it.

"No," Sirius predictably answers. "No reason to, I guess."

Remus nods and blows a little at the surface of his mug before taking a sip. "Mm," he acknowledges, "Peppermint."

"One of your favourites," Sirius replies with a grin and then takes a drink of his own. It burns his lips a bit and he shivers, but doesn't mind.

Remus sighs and resigns to the fact that things are just not the same between them, but he can't pinpoint how, exactly. "We're getting old," he says lightly, looking into the ripples in his tea, the effect of setting the mug back down on the table.

Sirius is watching the ripples too, distracted. Then he scratches his head and pushes fringe behind an ear, as though procrastinating his turn in the conversation. "Yeah," he finally acknowledges. He doesn't say anything else because he isn't sure which words to choose. His mind has come up with several statements and scenarios but he doesn't know which he wants, or which Remus wants.

"I feel like," Remus continues slowly, his eyebrows furrowed, "we never got a full friendship. I mean, it got cut short, when things were just starting." He smiles sadly, his face painted with bittersweet emotion. "James and Lily were parents, you were a godfather. We were settling down. Things were going well, considering it was during a war."

Sirius sees that Remus is right. Everything had ended rather abruptly. He tries to remember what his last words to James were, tries to remember where Remus had been while he was tracking down Peter, and he can't fully remember. But most of all, he's annoyed about being robbed of all his friends.

"You were an amazing friend, Moony," Sirius says, and out loud he thinks it sounds a little too sappy, but he doesn't retract the statement, but continues instead. "The Marauders wouldn't have been the same without you."

Remus is touched and he wants to say something equally wonderful to Sirius, but his body isn't listening to his head. It doesn't want to speak. It wants to get up and pull Sirius into its arms. At that moment, actions seemed to make more sense, but he can't allow himself to do it, so he tries to find words instead. He thinks about what Sirius said and then laughs bitterly. "I don't think the Marauders would have been the same without any of us. Look what happened when we let Peter slip away."

Sirius looks right into Remus' eyes, a concerned look suddenly prominent on his features. "I hope you don't blame yourself for losing him. He made his own decisions."

Remus shakes his head. "No, I know. We didn't exactly help, though." With Lily around so often, there would always be a fifth wheel. Sometimes they'd hang out with Gideon and Fabian and other members of the Order and it wasn't so bad, but just the five them felt a little like taking a friend along on a double date. Remus' chest tightened strangely at the thought of him and Sirius being on a double date with James and Lily.

"We're all that's left," Sirius is saying when Remus snaps back to reality, suddenly feeling too warm. There's an odd desperation in Sirius' voice. Like he's tired and worried. Remus wants to make the feeling go away.

So he stands up and gently lifts his cooling tea with him. "Come on," he says, nodding out of the kitchen. A minute later they're in the sitting room. Not the prim and proper front room where Remus came out of the fireplace, but the room where it's actually comfortable to sit down. Many nights had been spent sitting on the worn couch, as it was possibly the most inviting room in the whole house, save for the dining room when it was full of members of the Order. Half a dozen Weasleys could make any room inviting.

Sirius takes several gulps of his tea before placing it on the coffee table beside Remus'. Then he turns a little and pulls a leg up onto the couch, getting comfortable. Remus smiles at the action, as it reminds him of when they were younger and would all fit onto someone's bed and plan pranks. Remus likes to think that Sirius can find that level of comfort in Grimmauld Place too.

"Sirius," he says, "Padfoot." He doesn't know what else to say after that, he just felt like speaking his best friend's name out loud.

"It's so good to be called Padfoot again."

Remus tells himself to call Sirius by his nickname more often; always, if he can manage it. He envisions the huge black dog that was part of his pack in school, paws thundering nearly as loud as the wolf's as they chased each other in the night. Padfoot. My Padfoot.

It isn't until he sees the odd look on Sirius' face that he realizes he'd uttered his thoughts out loud. The sound of his mental voice echoes in his head, _my Padfoot, my Padfoot, my Padfoot_, and it matches his heartbeat as it speeds up in anxious anticipation for what Sirius will say or do.

There is a box sitting on the coffee table on top of an issue of the Quibbler that someone left around. Its half open, and red and green ribbons are losing their curl, falling limp towards the mahogany wood. A card is tied to one of the ribbons and Remus sees messy penmanship on it as Sirius pulls it towards them and reaches into the box.

"Christmas present from Harry," he explains simply, a small smile on his lips. "It was full of muggle joke items as well as some muggle sweets he picked out." He pulls a smaller purple box out of the larger box. "Some of these things are quite interesting actually; wizards can be so ignorant sometimes. The muggles know just as much as we do about prank items."

Remus has no idea where this is going but he decides to just wait and see, because this random reaction is better than what he expected might happen after his strange possessive comment.

"Enough about jokes, though," Sirius says and Remus raises an eyebrow. He didn't think Sirius could ever get enough jokes. "It's the chocolate that I want to show you."

He's opening the smaller purple box and then he reaches for Remus' hand. With a tip of the box, Remus' palm is full of small colourful balls that look like flattened, miniature marbles. "What are they?" he asks, confused.

"They're called Smarties," Sirius says, looking at the packaging. "No idea why though…"

He places the box on the table and sees that Remus is still holding them. "They're going to melt, Moony," he deadpans, and then barely contains a grin. He leans forward and pinches a couple of the candies out of Remus' palm and puts them into his mouth. Only then does Remus follow suit and try the weird muggle chocolate.

"Chocolate always makes me think of you," Sirius confessed as he watched Remus chew the candy. Sirius could have sworn he saw his friend's face flush at the comment. He battled the urge to lift a hand and touch Remus' scarred face. "My Moony."

If Remus hadn't flushed before, he certainly was now, and Sirius grinned happily at the effect those two words had made.

Remus isn't sure when his body moved, but a moment later he finds himself leaning over Sirius, one hand on the back of the couch and one on the arm. Sirius' back is to the arm of the couch and he looks up right into Remus' eyes, looking half confused and half amused. A moment passes as they watch each other, not totally sure of what's happening.

When Remus looks at Sirius, he can still see the intelligent, conniving, and brave teenage boy. A lot has happened but Sirius hasn't changed all that much, their situations are just very different.

As Sirius looks into Remus' eyes, he can tell that Remus is a little afraid, as hesitant and methodical as always, preferred to think things over before moving on, but there's a new kind of light in his eyes, like desire.

So Sirius makes it easier for Remus, and releases his grip on a cushion and grasps the back of Remus' head instead, pulling him gently downwards until their lips are brought together in a warm, slow kiss.

It's like getting into a cold pool of water. Remus wants to get in just a little and get used to it before moving further in. He doesn't know what to expect, so he takes it slow and Sirius seems to understand.

By the time they're shirtless, Remus' skin is tingling so much he's surprised he isn't visibly shaking. Sirius is doing things with his hands that Remus has never experienced, and he isn't sure how he got so far in life without the feel of them on his chest.

Sirius wants to trace every single one of Remus' scars with both his fingers and his tongue, but he isn't sure he'll have the time. The excitement and anticipation makes them impatient and it isn't long before their clothes are on the floor in an abandoned heap. Sirius decides that he will have a lot of time to pay attention to the scars later and lets them crash into each other, shuddering with the sensations.

Sirius smiles when Remus gasps, "_Padfoot._"

Eventually they make it to Sirius' bedroom and they don't stop.

"I missed you so much, Moony," Sirius whispers into Remus' hot skin, thinking of all the years they spent apart. Suddenly those years are the past, and the present is focused on Remus and nothing else. "Don't ever leave."

Remus kisses him. "Never."

* * *

**Thanks for reading, my dears. I hope I'll update sooner next time...**  
**-D0nQuixote**


End file.
